Film and Broadcast Fiction narrative theory

1. Film and Broadcast Fiction
Narrative Structures

2. “A story should have a beginning, a
middle, and an end…but not necessarily
in that order.”
~Jean-Luc Godard

3. What is Narrative?
 When writing about stories it is important to
recognise the structure, (how the narrative is
driven).
 Aristotle: 5 elements of a narrative:
 Presentation
 Development
 Complication
 Crisis
 Resolution

4. Todorov: Equilibrium
 Equilibrium: the balance of
harmony
 This is a model that reflects
social order.
 It fits with many Hollywood
productions.
 Why?
 Happy endings! Leaving the
audience with warm fuzzy
feelings of contentment and
pleasure, at having all the loose
ends tied up.
 Enforces the dominant ideology?
The American dream?
New Equilibrium
Equilibrium
Disruption

5. Propp
 1928, Propp studied Russian Folk/Fairy tales
and Mythology and found plot structures
which exist in many different narratives.
 Propps narrative theory has influenced many
main stream directors and writers…
 Have a look at the hand out, are there any
narratives that you recognise….

7. Propp
 Are there any films that follow this narrative
model?
 Not all the events that Propp identified will
happen, but those that do occur will happen
in sequence. They are ‘the fundamental
components of the tale’.
 Are these narrative models universal
components of a POPULAR narrative?
 CLASSICAL HOLLYWOOD NARRATIVE.

8. Enigma Code
 Conflict
 Surprise
 Expectation
 Satisfaction
 ENIGMA
 The Enigma code is
motivated by the
audience’s desire for
narrative closure. Controls
the pace and style of the
narrative by delaying the
resolution.
 Enigma causes the
Audience to constantly ask
questions of the narrative:
 ‘How will the villain be
defeated?’
 ‘Where will the lovers go?’
 ‘I wonder how she got her
hair to do that?’
 ‘Will Frodo get the ring to
Mordor before all the lands
of middle earth are cast
into darkness!”!!?’
 ‘Will there be a happy
ending? BUT HOW!!?’

9. Levi-Strauss: Binary oppositions
 He says that humans have always needed
and created myths to help understand their
world and reduce anxieties that life can
cause.
 Why would we do this?
 There are unresolvable contradictions in our
culture which we have to come to terms with.
 MYTHS help us to address these in an
imaginative way.

10. Binary Oppositions
 Myths use abstract opposing forces as metaphors
for larger debates/issues.
 In a Western for example:
Outdoors Vs Indoors
(homesteads, kitchens Vs deserts)
Law and Order Vs Lawlessness
(Sheriff Vs outlaws, Indians)
 i.e.: in a scene in a Western where a group of
Indians attack a homestead this is a metaphor for
the ABTRACT idea for nature threatening
civilisation

11. Binary Oppositions
 Binary oppositions can be seen in symbolic things
in a film like lighting, props, NVC, dress, camera
angles or framing (CU Vs LS).
Good Vs Evil
Hero Vs Villain
American Vs Non-American
Middle Class Vs Lower Class
Attractive Vs Unattractive
Light Vs Dark
Internal dilemma Vs External Problem
 The list is endless…

12. Classical Hollywood Narrative
 Is Classical Hollywood Narrative boring?
 How do audiences react to a narrative when
they are expecting a happy ending?
 How do directors react when audiences are
expecting a happy ending?

13. Classical Hollywood Narrative
 Combines these Narrative devices with:
 Continuity editing,
 Common Ideology (Hegemony). American Cultural
Imperialism. Criminals punished, good prevails! Comforting
to the Audience The American Dream. Capitalism.
 Representation of Men and Women
 The Audiences particular understanding of the Genre.
 CHN is a marketing tool? How?
 Genre as a marketing tool? How?
 Star signification
 Linear Narrative
 Closed Narrative